


My Life in Two

by VioletTeaTime



Series: Chai Dads Universe [1]
Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: American Sign Language, Deaf Ethan Green, M/M, Single Parents, Ted isn't actually an asshole, i've never heard of it, the cineplex teen/ethan is really lowkey, tw- mentions of suicide, what the fuck is canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:47:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23307025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletTeaTime/pseuds/VioletTeaTime
Summary: Paul felt like he knew Ted well, until he went home with him-Ted has a child he never told Paul about.
Relationships: Cineplex Teen/Ethan Green, Paul Matthews/Ted, past ted/original female character
Series: Chai Dads Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1680937
Comments: 17
Kudos: 82





	My Life in Two

**Author's Note:**

> i know chai coffee isn't popular but,,, shut up
> 
> tw- mentions of suicide

Paul felt like he knew everything about everyone he worked with, except his boyfriend. He knew about Charlotte's insecurities and Bill's marriage, hell, he even knew about Melissa's crush on the girl from the paper supply company's baseball team. But he didn't really feel like he knew about Ted's past, his goals and ambitions. He bounced on his heels as he waited in line, thinking far too much for how early it was in the morning, especially before he had his coffee. The line moved slowly, but he could see Emma and her co workers hustling behind the bar, so Paul didn't really mind. He opened his messages with Ted.

Hey Teddy, do you want anything from Beanie's? I'm in line. [8:34]

 _maybe a chai iced tea???_ [8:35]

 _thx paulister xx_ [8:35]

Paul smiled and slid his phone back into his pocket as he got to the front of the line. The guy in front of him kept nervously checking his watch, obviously in a hurry. Why would you get in a long line if you were in a hurry? Paul didn't understand people. He watched as the man ordered some really fancy drink, and Emma made eye contact with Paul as the guy rattled on. She passed the cup to her co worker, and Paul stepped up to order. 

"Hey, Emma. Crazy today, huh?" He gestured to the amount of people crammed into the small building.

"Yeah, fuckin' crazy, especially because our coffee is shit. Just for you, or for you and the asshole today?" She wiped her hands on a cloth that was over her shoulder before starting to tap around on her screen.

"He's not that bad. And it's for both of us." She shook her head, passing a clear cup down to Nora before turning to pour Paul's coffee.

"He just seems jumpy. Weird. And he's legitimately never been nice to anyone but you."

"That's not true, he's nice to most customer service workers. And... uh... well." He shrugged, taking the coffee from her with a smile. She shook her head again at him, but her smile betrayed her actions. He knew not everyone saw the soft, sensitive side of Ted, and to an extent, he would like to keep it that way. Ted was actually a really sweet person underneath his layers of snark. Paul walked out of the restaurant a minute later with both drinks, the contrast between the heat of the drinks making him upset they didn't give him a tray.

Ted was already seated at his desk, headset covering his ear when Paul arrived. His eyes were closed, hands interlocked in front of his face so he could lean on his forearm as he spoke into the microphone, seeming frustrated with his first caller of the day. Paul gently grazed his back before setting the cup down on his desk. Ted looked up at him and mouthed 'thank you', his caller still ranting. Bill smiled as he sat down, and he rolled his chair over to Paul's desk. 

"Hey Paul."

"Hey Bill."

"So Paul, I was wondering if you wanted to come with Alice and Deb and Me to a play tomorrow night? Hatchetfield High is doing A Midsummer Night's Dream and Alice has some friends in it." Paul shrugged, and looked over to Ted. He had told him a couple days ago he couldn't do anything on Friday, so it wouldn't be the end of the world if he spent a couple hours watching high school students struggle through Shakespeare.

"Sure, Bill. You and Alice doing better?" He took a long drink of his coffee as Bill nodded.

"Yeah, ever since that production of Mama Mia!, she seems to be trying to spend more time with me. I still don't like Deb, but it's getting easier to pretend I do." He shook his head before sliding back to his desk. That's that. 

-

Paul waited outside the high school, awkwardly standing off to the side as he waited for Bill. It was much busier than he had expected it to be, with parents and kids flocking in, chattering excitedly. Paul felt overdressed in his work suit, the general masses wearing hoodies and jeans, so he slid his tie off and shoved it in his pocket, then unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. He felt relieved as he saw the three walk up. Bill walked in front slightly, Alice and Deb trailing behind, hands intertwined. He would never tell Bill, but Paul thought the two of them were a good match. 

They meshed with the crowd, walking like lambs to the slaughter towards the gym. Bill babbled on about he dinner he had brought the girls to, having found a restaurant with vegan options half an hour away, and Paul didn't mind him monologuing, he didn't have much to say. That's the problem when you work with friends, you quickly realize there isn't much to talk about outside of work. 

As Bill and Paul paid for tickets, Alice and Deb checked out a display board where the cast list had been put up. Paul made his way over after parting with his seven dollars, scanning to see if he recognized anyone. The girl playing Puck worked at the Toy Zone, he remembered her from when he picked up a toy for Emma's nephew, and he was pretty sure Lysander was the geeky kid that hung around Beanie's after school. One more kid, the boy playing Nick Bottom looked really familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The photo had his hair slicked back, a nervous look on his face. He looked like he was squinting at the camera. Paul's eyes dropped to where his name was. _Charlie Richards_. Huh. There sure are a lot of Richards around Hatchetfield, maybe this kid was Ted's nephew or cousin. Bill caught up to Paul, and they slipped inside the gym.

By the end of the first act, Paul regretted his choice to come. The students were surprisingly good, only the minor characters seeming to suffer with the intricate lines, but the costumes and lighting were terrible, making the whole show seem tacky. The four of them migrated into the hallway to get some space, and it seemed as though the entire audience had the same idea. Bill didn't try to argue when Deb wanted to go smoke a dart, but Paul could see the distain in his eyes as the two girls walked away, pinkies intertwined. 

"Y'know, Bill, this makes me glad I never did high school theatre. This is garbage." Bill's eyes widened and he shoved a clammy hand over Paul's mouth.

"Shh! This is everyone's parents! You criticize _after_ you leave the show, not during intermission!" Paul put his hands up in a moment of defeat, and Bill dropped his hand. Paul scanned the room, looking through the large crowds. For a moment, he could have sworn he saw the shirt Ted had worn to work that day, and Paul pushed through the crowd slightly. He caught a glance of a tall dark haired man walking with a shorter man in a leather jacket, but Paul decided it couldn't be his boyfriend, as he couldn't hear Ted's harsh voice anywhere. He returned to Bill's side as the 50/50 raffle began.

-

Paul enjoyed the quiet weekends. Ted had come over on Saturday, the two of them had decided to try and cook a meal for themselves instead of go out to eat, and Paul had been pleasantly surprised with Ted's skills in the kitchen. They had woken up together on Sunday morning, drinking in the bliss of not hearing a sharp alarm, and Ted had gone home around noon, having to do laundry and clean the backyard. All things considered, it would have been perfect for Paul. But it wasn't.

He couldn't get the nagging feeling out of his head that Ted wasn't telling him something. After he watched his boyfriend leave, Paul had sat down and tried to rationalize with himself what he was feeling, why he felt so insecure suddenly. Maybe it was that Charlotte had pointed out that he had never been to Ted's house, or that Melissa made a mention of Ted not talking about past relationships. It was all true, Ted was a private person for someone who seemed to confident and outgoing. 

Paul sighed and went to lay down on the couch, but he felt something hard under his head. He sat back up and reached around for it, his hand eventually landing on Ted's wallet. Paul knew he could call or text Ted, tell him to come back and get it, but he knew that Ted shouldn't be driving without his license on him. Paul also knew this gave him the perfect excuse to see Ted at his home, and see what was happening. 

These all seemed like perfectly sound thoughts until Paul was parked beside the driveway at what he thought was Ted's address, judging by what his driver's said. Paul leaned his head on the steering wheel.

"Am I really doing this?" Yes. Yes he was. He stepped out of the car, wallet in his hand, and looked up towards the house. It was small, but seemed nice. There was a small garden out front, though Paul couldn't picture Ted in a pair of gardening gloves for the life of him. Two cars sat in the driveway, Ted's car in front, and a run down looking car behind it. Paul let his eyes linger on it as he walked towards the door, wondering who would be over.

"Okay. Okay." Paul knocked twice on the door, and bounced as he waited. He heard muffled noises inside the house, and a teenager opened the door. Paul recognized him as the teenager from A Midsummer Night's Dream, the something Richards. 

"Uh... who are you?" His voice cracked, and Paul felt bad for how nervous the kid looked, despite Paul not being an intimidating person. Behind his head, the television was running a reality show, subtitles running across the bottom. Another teenager dressed in distressed clothing sat on the couch, staring at the door. Paul felt his eyes boring through him.

"I, uh, my name is Paul, and uh, um..." He was at a loss for words. He almost wanted to check the address on Ted's license again, just to make sure this was the right house. The teenager in front of him turned and made hand motions at the other boy, who nodded and joined him at the door. 

"Hey, you two comin' to eat? Shit's gonna get cold if- _Paul._ " Ted rounded the corner inside the house, eyes wide and locked on him. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and one of the tee shirts he had stolen from Paul a couple weeks before, a dishcloth hanging off of his shoulder. The boy who answered the door turned to look at Ted, hands fidgeting at his side.

"Dad, who is this?"

"Dad?" What the fuck was happening? What the fuck was this? Paul felt cold and sweaty and hot and dry all at once. Ted jogged up to the door, and used more hand motions at the two boys, who quickly left the room. He took Paul's arm and pulled him into the house, shutting the door behind him.

"Jeez, Paul, gonna let the cold air out."

" _Dad?_ " His heart was beating in his ears, and Ted continued to bring him into the house, forcing him to sit on the couch where the kid with the shorter hair had sat before. He flicked the television off before sitting across from Paul on the table.

"So, you're, uh, you're-" 

"Yeah, Paul, I got a kid." Ted picked at the wood of the table, seemingly old by the onslaught of dents it had. 

"Okay, okay. Okay. Okay, so. Okay. Okay." Paul dropped the wallet onto the couch beside him.

"Paul? You gonna say anything?"

"Okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay." He was trying to understand what was happening, why he had never been told. Why Ted had lied, why he was sitting here in a picture perfect living room when Ted had convinced him his place was a disaster.

"Paulister?" Ted put his hand on Paul's knee, and he took a shuddering breath. Why was he the one freaking out? 

"Okay. Okay, you have a kid. Um. Why?" Ted raised an eyebrow at him, and opened his mouth like he was going to say a snarky comeback, but he clenched his jaw.

"Do you actually want the full story?" Paul nodded, and Ted slid from the table onto a plush chair nearby.

"I was a stupid fucking teenager. I was just a fucking bad kid, y'know? My parents didn't give a shit, so I snuck out, stole shit, got high. Then I met this girl, and she was just fucking _everything_ to me. We didn't know she was pregnant until it was too late, she was too far gone for anything to happen. I was seventeen when Charlie was born, and I just loved him so much. We moved in together with what little money we could scrap up from part time work, her parents looked after him almost as much as we did. And we were so fucking happy, at least _I_ was so God damn happy with my life for the first time that I didn't notice her slip. Charlie was two when I came home to her dead in the bath. No note, no letter, nothing. I got my shit together, went to community college, and I've been trying so hard to be a good father that I haven't been a good anything else." Ted wiped his face, and Paul felt guilty, watching from afar as his boyfriend put his heart on the line, tears forming.

"And then you started work, and you were just so fucking cute. You dealt with my bullshit and gave it back to me, you started to see through this mess that I am. And that is fucking terrifying, because the last person to really give a shit about me slit her wrists in the bathroom upstairs. So I lied, and I would be a fucking liar if I said it was for you. It was for me, I lied because I was so afraid of what you would think when you realized how much baggage I carry with me. I really, really love you, but I love my son more. That geeky little freak is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and if you can't deal with that, there's the door." Ted gestured to the front door, looking down at his knees instead of at Paul. Paul moved so he was sitting on the armrest of Ted's chair.

"That's something I can deal with, Ted. Um, I'm not great with kids, but I think I'm great with you, so that's something." He cleared his throat, "you don't need to feel guilty for lying, I understand. And, um, if you'll have me, I'd like to still be here. I mean with you. Because I like you. Love you. Um. Okay?" Ted smiled.

"Okay."

-

Two weeks later found Paul in Ted's passenger seat, the sun just beginning to fade beyond the horizon. They were waiting outside the Lakeside Mall waiting for Charlie to finally emerge from the Cineplex. In the backseat sat Charlie's boyfriend, a boy named Ethan that Paul absolutely adored. He was deaf, and though Paul was just starting to learn sign language, just to feel like more of a family, Ethan always tried to make sure he was included in the silent conversations the Richards' had. He tapped the back of Paul and Ted's seats as they watched Charlie run up, tucked into Ethan's leather jacket. Ethan slid out of the car, holding the door open for his boyfriend, and Ted groaned as they gave each other a quick peck.

"Jesus, save that for when I'm not around." Ted signed as he spoke, and it warmed Paul's heart to know he made that much of an effort to make Charlie happy. 

"Sorry, dad." 

" _Sorry._ " Ethan made a gesture Paul didn't recognize, tapping his thumb to his forehead twice with his fingers splayed out before making a mustache over his lip. Whatever it was, it made Ted smile. With the two teens back in the car, they took off down the road. They had decided to go to the drive in, and when Paul questioned the choice, saying that Ethan couldn't hear it, and Charlie worked at the actual theatre, the geeky kid had asked him how much watching he really expected them to do. Paul was happy, following this road with Ted, with Charlie. He may not have expected this, but as he watched Ted in the corner of his eye, and Charlie and Ethan in the rear view mirror, he knew there was no place he'd rather be. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! my tumblr is under the same name if you wanna hit me up
> 
> the sign ethan did that paul didn't know was his name for ted, the two taps meaning father, and imitating his mustache
> 
> s/o to continental-woods on tumblr for charlie's name


End file.
